1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is an apparatus that is placed on a seat to help its user in being seated and in arising from a sitting position.
2. The Prior Art
Almost everyone has experienced some difficulty in arising from a very soft sofa or easy chair. The softness of these seats results in the user's hips being rather low, relative to his knees, and results in the user's back being tilted to the rear. To arise from such a position places a demand on the user's muscles and joints.
A number of inventors have devised apparatus for helping people arise from a sitting position. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,851 issued Aug. 25, 1987 to Whiteford, there is described a device that has a rigid lower leaf and a rigid upper leaf that are joined along the front edge of a chair by a tubular spring having a C-shaped cross-section.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,398 issued Nov. 24, 1964, Stryker shows the use of a helical torsion spring to connect an upwardly pivoting seat to an underlying frame that can be attached to a wheel chair.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,897 issued May 2, 1972, Wright shows a cushioned seat that is hinged to a base member and that is urged away from the base member by a set of curved leaf springs.
Thus, certain aspects of the present invention are shown in the prior art because they are essential for any device of this type. However, beyond these essential features, the present invention includes certain highly advantageous features that permit it to be distinguished from the prior art devices.